ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador Donald Blome has said his country had the largest scholarship and fellowship programmes for students and professionals, with special focus on school education.

Addressing a press conference after attending the fifth Annual Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Alumni Conference on Friday, Ambassador Blome said besides providing a large number of scholarships, the US was also contributing to school education.

He said the US had constructed over 106 schools in Pakistan, and vowed to continue extending support to education and other sectors.

He also appreciated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for declaring education emergency in the country with special focus on out-of-school children.

To a query about T-20 World Cup to be held in US and Caribbean next month, the ambassador said people of his country were excited to see the best teams playing. He wished both the US and Pakistani teams best of luck as both would play each other on June 6.

Speaking on the occasion, Education Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani said the government had been making efforts to bring about improvement in the country’s education sector.

Earlier, during the conference, Mr Blome appreciated USEFP and Pakistan-US Alumni Network (PUAN) teams for arranging the event.

Addressing the alumni he said: “Each of you was chosen for this conference because you demonstrated a commitment to social responsibility - the theme of our conference. You are making your communities, Pakistan, the United States, and the world a better place.”

He said along with other 44,000 PUAN members from dozens of US exchange programmes, “you are helping address some of the world’s biggest challenges – from tackling climate change and preventing social conflict to championing equal rights and promoting public health.”

Some months ago, he said he had the honour of sharing a PUAN stage with Humphrey alumnus Dr Mohammad Amjad Saqib, who had established Akhuwat.

Through his groundbreaking microfinance programmes, he and his teams have supported more than 5.2 million Pakistanis living in poverty, increased access to education for children throughout the country and established a socially responsible microfinance model that serves as an example to countries worldwide, Ambassador Blome said.

Another Humphrey alumnus and a champion of human rights, Ramesh Jaipal escaped forced child labour, earned a Humphrey fellowship, studied law and human rights at American University in Washington, and was now leading the fight for equal rights for religious minorities, including drafting the first Pakistani Hindu Marriage Bill in 2017, the US envoy said.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2024